Everyone was scrambling to take their places on Friday, October 10, at the Tennessee Governor’s Residence Conservation Hall as participants from TV stations Channel 2, 4, 5, and Fox 17 battled it out over well-oiled skillets during Tennessee’s Omelet Cookoff to celebrate World Egg Day. The event was sponsored by The Farm and Forest Families of Tennessee with help from the Tennessee FFA and 4-H groups.

Representing WKRN News 2 was reporter and photojournalist Jerry Barlar and his assistant Charlie Schneider while the WSMV Channel 4 table was manned by investigative reporter Stacey Cameron and journalist/reporter Steve Mehling. WTVF NewsChannel 5 was represented well with anchor and investigative reporter Jennifer Kraus — who wore a festive chicken hat, tail, and feet — teaming up with investigative reporter Ben Hall. Rounding out the competition was WZTV Fox 17 News morning reporter Johnny Maffei and news reporter Madeleine Nolan.

Judges for the event were Tennessee First Lady Maria Lee, the Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture Andy Holt, and Clay County Farm Bureau President Reyes Rich, who also supplied all the farm-fresh Tennessee eggs for the cookoff. They were commissioned to taste each entry and score it based on many categories of competition. Cooks could use a plethora of ingredients from a Pick Tennessee Products table on site and could bring “secret” ingredients from home. Items available for the competitors included cheese, mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomatoes, and bacon, along with salsa and hot sauce.

Taking home the first-place win, the NewsChannel 5 team was awarded a Best of Show cast-iron skillet each and won the ribbon for Best Use of Tennessee Products. Their over-the-top entry featured an extra-large omelet filled with all types of ingredients and topped with melted cheese, served alongside bacon, country biscuits with homemade Tennessee jam, and a large serving of fresh cooked hashbrowns.

The Best Presentation award was won by the Fox 17 team, who carefully placed chopped orange peppers and white onions in a checkerboard pattern to resemble Neyland Stadium’s iconic end zones at the University of Tennessee on top of their omelet, calling it a UT omelet.

The Best Tasting omelet was won by the Channel 4 squad, who utilized a tortilla and hot sauce, while the Most Original Recipe was awarded to Barlar and Schneider from Channel 2, who added a secret smoked sausage ingredient.

“What a way to celebrate Tennessee’s rich agricultural history and the importance of the poultry and egg industries on World Egg Day,” said First Lady Lee. “Thank you all for the role you play to serve our communities and to support the agriculture and forest industry across our state. Working in the agriculture industry requires tremendous passion, patience, and perseverance. Ag is the number one economic driver in Tennessee and the backbone of our state’s economy. The work that Tennessee farmers do is felt across our state. Bill and I both share a passion for our state’s rural communities. It’s people like you who represent the heart of the Volunteer State.”